Bhubaneswar: In a massive statewide crackdown on cybercrime, Odisha Police has verified 18,119 mule (benami) bank accounts and arrested 262 accused persons under its ‘Operation Cyber Kavach’ drive.
The operation, aimed at dismantling networks facilitating online financial fraud, is being carried out under the direction of Police DG Y B Khurania, with district SPs and DCPs closely supervising coordinated action by cyber crime units across the state. So far, police have registered 623 cases linked to mule bank accounts, 28 cases involving fraudulent ATM withdrawals, 23 cheque withdrawal fraud cases, and 13 cases related to fake SIM cards and PoS transactions. In addition to the arrests, legal notices have been issued to 4,152 suspicious account holders and facilitators connected to new cases and 141 previously registered FIRs.
Several districts reported significant action: Puri with 653 accounts verified and 16 cases registered; Sambalpur with 490 accounts examined; Bhadrak with 327 accounts verified and four arrests; Jajpur with 286 accounts checked and one arrest; Balasore with 217 accounts verified; and Ganjam with 220 accounts examined and one arrest.
Multiple other districts also registered cases and issued notices as part of the intensified drive. Reaffirming the department’s commitment to safeguarding digital transactions, DGP Khurania said the campaign would be further strengthened in the coming days to ensure stricter enforcement and to move towards building a cybercrime-free Odisha.
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